Hair dryer with high handiness

ABSTRACT

A hair dryer with high handiness, which comprises an enclosure with a first portion forming a grip region and a second portion forming an air delivery duct that leads externally. The enclosure accommodates an electric motor connected, through its shaft, to an impeller actuated, by the same motor, to produce a stream of air through the air delivery duct. At least one electric resistor, powered to heat air as it passes through the delivery duct is arranged along the delivery duct. The hair dryer comprises at least one light source suitable to emit light through the outlet of the air delivery duct.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a hair dryer with highhandiness.

[0002] As is known, hair dryers are substantially constituted by anenclosure, generally made of electrically insulating synthetic material,which is shaped so that one of its portions forms a grip region andanother of its portions, very often orientated substantially at 90° tothe grip region, forms a duct for delivering air with an outlet thatleads outward.

[0003] The enclosure accommodates internally an electric motor whoseshaft is connected to an impeller, which can be actuated by means ofsaid electric motor in order to draw in air from outside the enclosureand convey it out again through the air delivery duct.

[0004] One or more electric resistors are arranged inside the airdelivery duct and can be powered to heat the air as it passes throughthe air delivery duct.

[0005] When using this kind of device, very often there is the need tohave an adequate lighting of the region of the hair being dried andstruck by the air stream emitted by the device.

[0006] It should be noted, in fact, that hair drying is generallyperformed in bathrooms, in front of a mirror, with a lighting thatilluminates the user from the front and therefore leaves in the shadowthe rear part of the head, forcing the user to turn his headcontinuously in order to expose to the light the region being dried.

[0007] Furthermore, the hair itself, lifted by the air stream emitted bythe appliance, limits the viewing field by casting shadows onto theunderlying hair.

[0008] It should be noted that poor visibility of the hair subjected todrying can be a danger for the user, since said user might move the airdelivery outlet of the appliance too close to the hair, with the risk ofscorching it or, worse still, burning it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The aim of the present invention is to obviate the drawbacksnoted above, by providing a hair dryer that allows the user to viewperfectly the region of the hair that is being dried in each instance,even in poorly lit spaces.

[0010] Within the scope of this aim, an object of the invention is toprovide a hair dryer that by adequately highlighting the region of thehair being dried, allows quicker and easier drying.

[0011] Another object of the invention is to provide a hair dryer thatcan have aesthetic effects that appear particularly original andpleasant for the user.

[0012] Another object of the invention is to provide a hair dryer thatoffers the greatest assurances of safety during use.

[0013] This aim and these and other objects that will become betterapparent hereinafter are achieved by a hair dryer, comprising anenclosure in which a first portion thereof forms a grip region, and asecond portion thereof forms an air delivery duct that leads externally,said enclosure accommodating an electric motor that is connected, by wayof its shaft, to an impeller that can be actuated, by way of said motor,to produce a stream of air through said air delivery duct, at least oneelectric resistor that can be powered in order to heat the air as itpasses through said delivery duct being arranged along said deliveryduct, characterized in that it comprises at least one light sourcesuitable to emit a beam of light through the outlet of said air deliveryduct.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Further characteristics and advantages will become betterapparent from the detailed description of a hair dryer according to theinvention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

[0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hair dryer according to thepresent invention;

[0016]FIG. 2 is a partially sectional lateral elevation view of the hairdryer according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] With reference to the figures, the hair dryer according to thepresent invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1,comprises in a per se known manner an enclosure 2 that is preferablyformed by molding electrically insulating synthetic material.

[0018] A portion of the enclosure 2 forms a grip region 3 and anotherone of its portions forms an air delivery duct 4 whose outlet is locatedat one of its ends.

[0019] An electric motor 7 is accommodated in a manner known per se,inside the enclosure 2 and is connected, through its shaft 13, to animpeller 5, also of a known type, which is also accommodated in theenclosure 2.

[0020] In a region of the enclosure 2, proximate to the impeller 5,there are suitable openings through which the impeller 5, actuated bythe electric motor 7, draws in air from the outside in order to propelit back out of the enclosure 2 through the air delivery duct 4.

[0021] One or more electric resistors 6 are arranged inside the airdelivery duct 4 and can be powered to heat adequately the air as itpasses through the air delivery duct 4.

[0022] According to the invention, the hair dryer comprises at least onelight source, which is suitable to emit a beam of light through theoutlet of the air delivery duct 4.

[0023] The light source is constituted by at least one light bulb 8,which is preferably accommodated within the air delivery duct 4 in theregion arranged upstream of the electric resistor or resistors 6 alongthe direction of the flow of air generated by the impeller 5 along theair delivery duct 4.

[0024] Conveniently, the light source also comprises at least oneparabolic reflector 9, which is arranged substantially coaxially to theair delivery duct 4 and is orientated so that its concavity is directedtoward the outlet of the air delivery duct 4.

[0025] The reflector 9 has a diameter that is adequately smaller thanthe diameter of the air delivery duct 4 so as to avoid hindering the airflow. The arrangement of the light bulb 8 and of the reflector 9upstream of the electric resistor or resistors 6 also achieves aneffective cooling of the light bulb and of the reflector by means of theair, as yet unheated, propelled by the impeller 5.

[0026] Advantageously, at least on the side walls of the air deliveryduct 4 there are transparent or translucent regions 10, which allow thepassage of part of the light emitted by the light bulb 8, achievingpleasant and unusual aesthetic effects. Depending on the effect sought,these regions might be annular, arrow-shaped or otherwise shaped andmight also be variously colored.

[0027] The hair dryer is completed by an electric circuit that isaccommodated in the enclosure 2 and is connected to an electric powersupply cord for connecting the hair dryer to the electric mains.

[0028] According to the requirements, it is possible to provide, in aper se known manner, a single switch with one or more positions forvarying the speed of the impeller 5 or two switches 11 and 12,respectively for controlling and optionally adjusting the rotation rateof the impeller 5 and one for controlling and optionally adjusting thesupply of power to the electric resistor or resistors in order to varythe temperature of the air emitted by the hair dryer.

[0029] The electric power supply of the light bulb 8 can be controlledby the same switch that controls the impeller 5 or can be controlled bymeans of an additional switch.

[0030] The use of the hair dryer according to the invention is evidentfrom what has been described and illustrated. In particular, it isevident that during use the hair dryer, by virtue of the light bulb 8,projects a beam of light along the air stream, adequately lighting theregion of the hair affected by said air stream and thus allowing theuser to view perfectly the region being dried even in a scarcely litenvironment.

[0031] In practice it has been found that the hair dryer according tothe invention fully achieves the intended aim, since by virtue of thepossibility to cast a beam of light together with the air stream itmakes the hair drying operation easier and safer.

[0032] Another advantage of the hair dryer according to the invention isthat it can have particular aesthetic effects by virtue of the lightemitted by the light bulb.

[0033] In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapesand dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the stateof the art.

[0034] The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No.MI2001U000566 from which this application claims priority areincorporated herein by reference.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hair dryer, comprising: an enclosure with afirst portion thereof forming a grip region and a second portion thereofforming an air delivery duct with an outlet for supplying an air stream:an impeller; an electric motor with a shaft that is connected to saidimpeller for actuation thereof, to produce said air stream through saidair delivery duct; at least one electric resistor, arranged along saiddelivery duct, and powered in order to heat the air stream while passingthrough said delivery duct; at least one light source arranged so as toemit a light beam through the outlet of said air delivery duct, saidimpeller, electric motor and electric resistor being accommodated insaid enclosure.
 2. The hair dryer of claim 1, wherein said at least onelight source comprises at least one light bulb that is accommodated insaid air delivery duct.
 3. The hair dryer of claim 2, wherein said atleast one light bulb is arranged upstream of said at least one electricresistor along a direction of the air stream generated by said impelleralong said air delivery duct.
 4. The hair dryer of claim 2, furthercomprising at least one light parabolic reflector that is arrangedsubstantially coaxially to said air delivery duct and is orientated witha concavity thereof facing the outlet of said air delivery duct.
 5. Thehair dryer of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of regions whichare transparent for allowing passage of the light beam produced by saidat least one light source, said transparent regions being provided atleast on side walls of said air delivery duct.
 6. The hair dryer ofclaim 4, further comprising a plurality of regions which are translucentfor allowing passage of the light beam produced by said at least onelight source, said translucent regions being provided at least on sidewalls of said air delivery duct.